Lost and Found
by badriddance
Summary: The fifth Magic Knight is called to Cephiro to help battle the mysterious fourth Knight from a different time. New monster, new Machins, and new love interests abound!
1. Lost

This was written several years ago when I first started watching the Rayearth anime... I was crazy in love with Innova back then, and couldn't bear for him to be gone completely. So I made him a machine and created a Knight for him. (details here: )

I couldn't tell if it was morning or afternoon when I walked outside. The sun was a bright haze, though the air was cool. I was still in my nightgown and walked barefoot out of the cool-tiled terrace onto the grass. It was a short walk from my room in the palace to a knoll overlooking a valley filled with pale flowers. It was there that I stopped.

It always seemed breezy in Cefiro. My gown whipped up around me and my hair went into my eyes. This wind carried the scent of honeysuckle. Yesterday it had been cinnamon. Both were two of my favorite scents and I couldn't help but wonder if there really was honeysuckle out there, or if it was my wishes that created the smells, even unconsiously.

That's what was fun about Cefiro. A bird that looked as if it was made of thistledown flitted by me, white against the perfect blue of the sky. Perfect, perfect. I balanced up on my toes and gave myself a hug as the wind did it's best to embarrass me in my nightgown. The cool breeze twined around my legs and shot up my back, escaping through my hair. Bliss, that's what it was. I loved it here. Even fighting the occasional monster was a small price to pay for escaping the 'real world'.

I had never understood why the other three Knights had so longed to return to Tokyo. But then, they had all had families, friends, even pets...something to return to.

I had been in orphanages until I was old enough to be sent away to school. I hadn't been much of a scholar and I'd been moved around so often I'd never been able to make any real friendships. My nomadic lifestyle hadn't allowed for pets either.

Here, though, I could have whatever I wished for...And so far there had been only one thing I had found missing in this wonderful place.

Clef had always become uncomfortable when I flirted with him. I'd noticed a spark of anger in Umi when I tried it, too. I don't know if they were aware of it or not, but there was something between them, and I didn't want to wade into that. Lantis and Hikaru were the most recent lovebugs I knew of. I hope the man I fall in love with won't be so tall I need a ladder to kiss him! But they really are cute together. And, of course, Fuu and Ferio were as cuddly as a pair of bunnybats. Caldina and Lafarga had taken up with each other, and even Ascot was looking dreamy these days. My flirtations were wasted on him. Whoever his mind was on, it wasn't me.

I wasn't sure where my craving for romance had come from. I'd never considered myself boycrazy. I guess that in a world where I was surrounded by such beauty and love, I wanted to feel it on the inside, too. It was lonesome somehow, as if there was something more I needed that the others had all managed to find for themselves. The only time I didn't feel that way was inside my Machin.

The others had all been leery of my Machin in the beginning. I know they weren't expecting there to be a fourth Knight, but I wasn't expecting to be attacked by them either. Even when we had all calmed down, they didn't like that my Machin was a creature called Innova.

Once they explained, I was more sympathetic. Poor Fuu, especially, had been forced to fight a similar being to save Ferio and reach her own Machin, Windam.

Whether or not their Innova was the same as mine, I didn't care. He'd been so beautiful, there in the Storm Shrine, like some huge, wolfish, faerie creature, too wonderful to exist outside of a dream.

On a whim, I summoned my Machin, willing my gown into my full Magic Knight dress. Safe inside him, I looked over Cefiro again. I could see farther, with the advantage of his height. "Innova," I called softly, knowing I didn't really need to speak for him to hear me. "Was it you who fought the Magic Knights before? Are you the Innova they remember?"

"I am," his voice wasn't as deep as the other Machins'. It was soft and carried an old, old sadness. "I am the most powerful kind of magical creature in Cefiro. I could not be killed completely, though I was long in healing. I returned to the Storm Shrine where I was born to guard it as a Machin until you came."

"What's wrong?" I asked him, pained by his sorrow. He paused for a long moment before I heard him again, this time in my mind.

"I wanted more than anything," he said. "To serve Priest Zagato well. To grant him his wish for happiness with the Princess Emeraude. He loved her so."

"And you loved him," I realized, putting my hand over the pulse in my throat. It was a habit of mine, to feel my heartbeat when I was upset. "Enough to help him destroy your world, so that he'd be happy with the one he loved..."

Innova was silent after that, so shyly, I began to tell him about my world, the one I'd left behind. I told him about the orphanage, about all the schools I was sent to, and how much I loved it here in Cefiro. "If they ever try to send me back there, Innova," I told him. "Please hold me here. I don't want to leave this place or the people, or you, for that matter."

He was still quiet, but I felt like he was listening. After a few moments of silence between us, I had him fly us down over that valley. We followed a river's winding path to a where it sprang as a waterfall from a mountainside. I left his armor to run through the same pale flowers and pulled off my ankle boots by the shore. Spray from the falls tickled me and wet down my fly-away hair. I pulled off my cape and metal headpiece and anything else unnecessary and waded into the bitingly cold water.

I winced and gasped and then, feeling silly, pranced around a bit to get up the nerve to dive in. Finally, with a squeal, I sank under and swam around until feeling returned to my body. I thought I could feel an undercurrent of amusement from Innova as he stood on shore, as impassive as a statue. I couldn't help but wish he could come in and play, too.

Soon, a mental call from the palace brought us home for some presentation or another. I was bored and didn't pay much attention. Afterwards, I sparred with Hikaru for fun, though my heart wasn't in it. Then she broke off to help Umi chase Mokona, who had swiped something of hers. Fuu and Ferio had disappeared early from the presentation and I had no doubts why.

That thought made me wistful again and I left Umi and Hikaru to Mokona's pursuit while I wandered up to a secluded part of the palace. It was a small, open hallway to a tower, countless stories above the courtyard. I crawled up to sit on the edge of the wall. Cefiro had banished my fear of heights as well. I looked out over the land again and heaved a sigh.

Surely, I thought. There's someone here who loves me or will soon. I didn't want to feel sorry for myself, but the whole thing smacked of melancholy, and I felt weighed down by it.

"Wish I may,wish I might," I said aloud. Maybe if I wished hard enough, Cefiro would grant me this one too! Heartened by that idea, I spent awhile making a list of charactoristics necessary in my perfect love. I'd want him to be kind, of course. Cute, charming, loving, and faithful. He'd have to be brave when I was in trouble, and always be hurt enough in my rescue that I 'd get to nurse him afterwards. (The whole wounded hero notion was knee-quiveringly romantic, in my mind.) He'd have to feed me bonbons in bed for breakfast every morning and tell me I'm beautiful when I'm mussed, and knit me a sweater for Christmas.

At that point, I found myself giggling. It was silly to make lists like this, but the whole practice made me feel better. I skipped back the way I had come, running down a long spiral staircase back to the main palace. Rounding one corner, I nearly collided with Presea, who was on her way up. We both gasped and I slid to a halt, with only a little stumble.

"You startled me, young Knight," she said with a smile, but my attention was on the object she was carrying. It was a broken sword, the hilt design reminding me of an Earth ram with spiraling horns. It looked to be made of copper. I could tell that it was an Escuda weapon, a sword for a Magic Knight.

"What is it?" I asked. Presea became more solemn. She held it for me to see better.

"There's a part of the Magic Knight legend that isn't well known," she said. "It's said that many ages before Hikaru and her friends were called here, there was a Knight who had Earth powers. The Machin's name was Arieon and with it, the fourth Knight gave her life to prevent some calamity history only hints at. Her sword was broken and her Machin disappeared. They say it returned to its shrine, but even that place has disappeared now. All that is left, is the story and this piece of sword."

"That's so sad..." I touched the hilt with one finger. Presea nodded slowly and we were both quiet for a long moment. Then she smiled again.

"Perhaps they'll return, also, now that you have come," she said more brightly. "And I intend to have the sword repaired by then. You'd better hurry if you want to make it to dinner."

I couldn't believe it was that late already. How long had I been up there dreaming up the perfect guy?? So, thanking Presea, I turned and ran the rest of the way down the stairs to the banquet hall. I arrived, hair everywhere and out of breath, as usual. I got a few chuckles from the locals and slunk to my chair between Umi and Ascot. Maybe what I needed was my old watch from Earth. It was probably in my room somewhere if Mokona hadn't taken it.

"You get later everyday," Ascot nudged me with his elbow, interrupting my train of thought. "What do you do out there by yourself?"

"Maybe she's not by herself," Umi said sweetly, taking a sip from a glass shaped like a morning glory. She gave me a little wink and I felt myself blush, which of course, only made it look like I was hiding something... Ascot immediately pounced on this opportunity to pester me and soon the whole table wanted to know who I'd been secretly meeting.

"It's not like that!" I was getting frantic to change the subject. "I was talking to Presea about the Earth Knight who disapeared!" Some of the elders present, who knew the story, fell silent to nod wisely at each other. I had to explain to those who hadn't heard it, and to my immense relief, they started talking about that instead. Hikaru wanted to have some sort of search to find the lost Machin Arieon, and through it revive the lost Knight. Fuu suggested that if the lost Knight had been born again back on Earth, perhaps the Pillar could call her back to Cefiro. Umi didn't seem that interested.

"We should probably wait until Presea finishes the sword," I said, eating a chicken and cheese muffin. "That could probably help us, too."

"And we'll have to resolve the situation in Luasia before it gets bad, too," Fuu added. I must looked as blank as I felt, because she smiled at me a little mischievously. "I know you were at the presentation. Weren't you listening at all?" I shook my head, feeling sheepish, which Ascot increased ten-fold by muttering that my mind must've been on someone else. My cheeks went hot again. Umi giggled and even Fuu grinned a little. Hikaru blinked at me innocently, missing the point. I sighed, praying that this meal would be over soon, and Fuu, having mercy, told me what I'd missed earlier.

The city of Lausia, miles to the north, was being slowly overtaken by some creeping moss that grew in the damp. Unfortunately, they were also in the middle of the rainy season. I didn't think moss was a problem that required Magic Knights and said so. Umi agreed, Hikaru was adamant about helping the townspeople. She was going there in the morning. "You'll come with me, right?" she asked. "They're getting enough wind and water from all those storms, so Umi and Fuu should probably stay."

"All right," I shrugged. "If you think I'll be any help." I felt a little stupid, planning an attack on some fuzzy plant life, but then I remembered the monsters I'd fought before I'd reached Innova. Some of them hadn't been what anyone would consider dangerous until they had to face it down when it was enraged. The moss could very well be dangerous. I had gotten a little cocky, maybe, what with my new status and magic weapons. Adopting some of Hikaru's enthusiasm, I talked to her a little bit about our plans, then swiped a small pie from the dessert tray on my way to my room.

Once there, I peeled off my clothes, but left my wrist charm on. Through it I could contact both my Escuda weapon and Innova and I felt better with that security. My room smelled of lightning, I thought, that sharp, fresh, tingly storm-smell. I noticed that the decor had changed color as well, from the lavender it had been this morning to a snowy white. I wondered if it was the palace staff or Cefiro itself that had done it.

I was more tired than I realized. It had been a busy day, though it seemed I'd spent a lot of it mooning around. I untangled the barrette from my hair and put it down on a table. I'd look for the watch in the morning...maybe. I collapsed in my newly white bed and it seemed to me that I must've dreamed because the bed shifted beneath me. The sheets melted into sleek fur and it took a drowsy moment to realize that I was nestled into the back of the wolf-like Innova, as I'd seen him in the Storm Shrine. As before, I was dazed at how beautiful he was.

He turned to look at me and the singing power of the lightning we shared exploded out of my heart and went coursing through me in white-hot zigzags. I was gasping from it. My hands balled into fists when I couldn't stand the sensation of electricity pooling into my fingertips anymore. Was I dreaming? Innova's golden eyes stared into mine. Lightning danced over him like static. I could feel it play over my skin as well, in tingling waves that brought goosebumps up all over me. He lowered his head until the point of his horn touched my brow.

I'm not sure what happened then, but the world went white and zinging and lightning shot through my veins and spiraled its way through my brain. If I had been able to form a thought in my mind, I would've thought I was floating on some impossible soft sea of furs, while all the lightning in existence went screaming through me. Somewhere in the distance, I heard Innova howl out his war cry and I would have called back to him if I had been able. But then, as suddenly as it had begun, it was over, and I was gasping, alone in my bed, every hair on my body standing on end.

"Innova?" my voice was a bare whisper through my gasps for breath. There wasn't an answer. Where I had been bone-weary before, I was wide awake now and where I had thought that the my experience had been too intense for me to bear for long, I now craved more of it. "Innova?"

I looked down at the gem on my wrist. My arm quivered with the force of my hammering heartbeat. Out of habit, I pressed two fingers to the base of my throat to feel my pulse throb. Still shaking, I pulled on some clothing and ran outside. It was dark, only a few lights were still on in the palace, so whatever has just happened had taken much longer than I had thought. I ran out barefoot into the grass and summoned him up as a Machin. I had been hoping he'd appear in his wolf form again, but didn't care too much at this point. I ran toward him and he brought me inside his armor.

"Was it real?" I asked him, still gasping a little."Was I dreaming? Did you really do that? Did I dream it?? Innova?"

"This is Cefiro," he said gently. "Dreams can be real. This is a world where reality is decided by will."

"Then I want to know!" I know I sounded hysterical, but I couldn't help it. My heartbeat was so loud in my ears, I didn't even know if I was screaming or not. "That wasn't an answer!! I want to know, Innova!"

"What is it you wish to know?" he asked and I felt light-headed "I want to know what happened just now!" I resisted the urge to pound the sides of the armor. "I want to know what it was, and if it was real, and...and if it was, I want more of it!" He was quiet, perhaps surprised? I couldn't tell. "What was it, Innova? What did you do?"

"You'll know tomorrow," he said simply. I felt myself slump a little. That weariness was returning. I sagged against the side of the armor and sighed again.

"I wish you were soft all the time," I mumbled, putting a hand on the side of the armor. "I wish you made more sense. I wish you'd come out of this thing" I gave the armor a knock with my knuckles. "And play with me sometimes. Can you?" Again, he didn't answer and I was getting sleepier by the second. I let my head drop down onto my knees and it was morning again when I came to, once more in my bed.

Hikaru had just leaned in my doorway, without knocking. Or maybe she had, I thought, and I slept through it. She was carrying a tray loaded down with food. "It's time!" she chirped. "I brought you breakfast to save you time." She put the tray on the bed next to me and hopped up beside it. She had brought me a strawberry crepe, a peeled orange, porridge with honey, a sweet roll, and three pieces of bacon, along with a glass of milk. She'd probably just ransacked the kitchen.

"Thanks," I dragged myself out of bed and yawned my way to my wardrobe. Since Hikaru was there, I chose the outfit she had given me as an apology for nearly laying my head open when we first met. It always seemed to please her to see me in it, and her face beamed as soon as I pulled it out.

Once dressed, I ate while she tackled my hair, even more tangled than usual from sleep. I managed to eat about half the food she'd brought by the time she was able to beat my mane into some form of submission. I pulled on my boots and we trotted outside to call our Machins. Rayearth and Innova appeared, one in a swirl of flame, the other in a flash of lightning. Goosebumps prickled across my shoulders as I thought about what had happened the night before. He has said I'd find out today...Once inside him, I couldn't think of anything to say as we flew towards Lausia.

Hikaru commented on how quiet I was and I lied, telling her that I wasn't completely awake yet. I was awake, so awake I felt a little sick. As Cefiro slid away beneath me, I tried to think of what could possibly have happened.

Soon, we arrived in a dreary, drizzly town. No one was in sight, not surprising, since the weather was so bad. Hikaru and I left our Machins to wander around. Half of the town did have moss growing over it, blanketing the buildings and streets. I couldn't help but find it a little charming, sort of like a Chia-town. I was grinning at that thought when a man appeared down one of the empty streets. Hikaru called a greeting, assuming, like me, that he had come to meet us. He made no sign of having heard.

As he got nearer, we could tell that his stride was stiff and zombie-like. I pulled back a bit, getting that famous 'bad feeling'. Hikaru was as worried as I was, but being braver. She called out to him again and had to step back as he lurched by her. It was then that we saw that his back was covered in the same moss as the town. I flinched. Hikaru gasped. _So much for the moss being charming_... I thought.

Hikaru rushed forward and grabbed two handfuls of it to rip it off his back. It took clothing and skin away with it, leaving two gaping wounds in the man's back. She staggered away with another gasp. He continues his shambling walk past us. Hikaru looked from him to her hands and then screamed.

Jolted out of my horror, I ran to her side. The moss had attached itself to her fingers and was spreading to her palms. I grabbed her wrists and pulled her arms away from her body so it wouldn't spread to the rest of her. The moss undulated towards my hands.

"Burn it off!" I screamed, letting go of her quickly. "Use your power!" A quick blaze erupted from her hands, shriveling the moss away. She shook her hands, gasping, and I took them to see if she was hurt. Her skin was hot from the flames, but I couldn't see an injury.

A ripping, rumble of a sound made up both turn to see the blanket of moss had pulled itself up from the town. It reared up like a tidal wave over us. The top was all damp, fuzzy moss, but the underside was a mass of old bones, some animal, some not, and enmeshed human bodies. It looked like the whole town had been trapped in the moss' roots. It was awful. I felt cold seep through my stomach. It looked like a sheet of collaged Holocaust footage, writhing over us. I felt Hikaru's warm hand clutch mine. We broke and ran for our Machins.

"It's a monster!" she shouted unnecessarily. "How can we fight it without hurting all the people trapped in it?"

"I don't know!" I shouted back, as Innova beamed me in. "But we have to do something!" That was an unnecessary statement, too, I realized, but didn't think it mattered too much. Rayearth called forth Hikaru's sword and they lunged in to take a slash at the moss. It darted away, as graceful as a snake. Hikaru released one of her spells, raining fireballs down on it. I could almost hear her praying that it wouldn't hurt the townspeople.

Great chunks of it were burned away, but it didn't slow it down any. There must've been miles of it, much too much for a few holes to bother it. I had my own weapon out, but didn't see how it would do any better that Hikaru's had. The moss heaved itself upright like a tsunami of horrors, taller even than our Machins. It crested like a wave.

Get out of its way!" I screamed. Rayearth launched skyward and I sent Innova after him, just as the moss came crashing down again. We hovered over it, both at a loss.

"What'll we do?" I whispered, not expecting an answer. This time, however, one came. A familiar jolt ripped its way through and Innova's voice filled my mind.

"The spell I gave you last night," he murmured. "Remember it now." And I did. The spell came to me, carried in waves of shimmering power through my body. Barely aware of what I was doing, I arched backwards, weaving my arms into a motion that called the lightning down in a crackling spiral. I felt a rush of excitement from Innova, his pleasure in the use of his power. Then, I released the howling tornado of energy onto the creature below.

I could hardly see what was happening through the haze, but I heard Hikaru cry out. Too lost in the spell to even wonder if she'd been caught in it, I was awash in the glory of such power. I could feel something happen with Innova's presence. It wrapped around me. He was as joyful as a child in the full rush of the lightning that was part of him. Drawn to his pleasure, I embraced it and added my own. It was almost a bonding, as if we'd merged into one synchronized being instead of Knight and Armor. As the spell spent itself out, we were pulled back to our separate selves. I thought I caught a touch of reluctance from him at our parting, but it may have been my own.

Then, I looked down. My cyclone had ripped the moss creature apart. The townspeople were flung about in heaps. My pleasure was stabbed through with guilt. Had I killed them? Had the spell been too powerful? I beamed down to see how bad it was. Hikaru was already there, kneeling by a prone figure.

"It's all right!," she called. "I think they're all alive, but we need a healer here fast!"

"Probably a few of them would be better," I said, dropping beside a woman whose long hair reminded me of Umi's. I gulped, wondering how much of the damage was mine and couldn't be blamed on the moss. She was alive, but unmoving.

"I'll get Fuu," Hikaru said, standing again. "There's a village to the east, over those mountains. You go there and bring what healers they have here." It was obvious she didn't want to leave so many injured people spread across the landscape like autumn leaves, but we both knew neither one of us could help them. There was no choice but to go for help. I returned to Innova and we flew eastward.

"That was what you did last night," I was thinking aloud. "You filled me with that spell. The power of it was amazing! I never thought..."

He was quiet again. A sudden pang of diappointment stabbed me. Some part of me had been hoping Innova's visit was something mysterious and strange, nothing as mundane as giving me a spell he'd knew I'd need. It was like thinking your crush was meeting you for romantic reasons, only to find out he just wanted a homework assignment. Then, I realized what I was thinking, and Innova did, too.

_Well,there_, I thought suddenly, blushing bright. Thinking of that, I suddenly longed to burrow into his thick, white pelt again. He was just so beautiful. Tears sprang to my eyes and I blinked them back. _Wonderful_. And now he knew it, too.

Three days passed. The Lausians had been healed up by Fuu and the healers I'd recruited from the neighboring town. They were pulling their town back together bit by bit. Hikaru had wowed the court with tales of the storm tornado I'd called down. I took what comfort I could from her praise and hid myself away in the palace. I hadn't called up Innova since we'd returned from Lausia and he hadn't contacted me either.

Thus, I was alone with my confused feelings and they made poor companions. Always a late sleeper, I gave up on breakfast entirely and lost interest in lunch as another week crawled by. I didn't want to face the crow of people at the table when I had enough clamor in my head. I found myself in tears often and avoided everyone so I wouldn't have to explain.

Eventually, Clef came to see me. He tried to be official, which I imagine was hard for him when he was only about half my size. I didn't have any answers for him, though, and his demeanor changed to concern. I was touched and wanted to just squeeze him up like a stuffed toy and sob my emotions out into his oversized robes. He would have forgiven me for it,too, but I couldn't bear to have to explain why afterwards.

Later, he sent Hikaru to me. I knew he had because she wouldn't have noticed that my absence came from heartache. She crept to my side one night while I was outside watching fireflies. She sat beside me in the grass and took my hand.

"Why are you so sad?" she asked, my pain becoming hers. "Is it because of the monster? I had one bad dream about it, but then it went away."

I hugged her and let her think what she wanted. The fireflies danced and I tried not to remember that they were calling to mates to come join them with their lights. Even Cefiro's bugs had it more together than I did, I thought. The first smile I'd had in days appeared at the unbidden thought of myself with a glowing butt. Fireflies were also called lightning bugs, I remembered, shivering at the recollection of the power I hadn't used in awhile.

Hikaru saw the smile and left happy, thinking it had helped. Fuu wasn't so sure and came to me the next day while I sat on the lawn, blowing dandelion seeds out to the breeze.

"7 o'clock," I said, holding it up to her. She took the half-blown puffball from me and looked at it, then blinked at me. I told her of the grade school song about telling time by a dandelion clock, which she apparently hadn't heard before. She smiled a little and sat down beside me. Sunlight sparked off her wrist gem, flashing green. I looked at my own purple gem and resisted a fornlorn sigh.

"Something is troubling you," she said, adjusting her glasses. "Is it something we can help you with? Have you finally started to miss your home?"

"No, it's nothing like that," I flicked at another flower, sending more drifting seeds through the air. "This is my home." She studied me for a long, quiet time, the wind making her hair as tousled as mine.

"As Magic Knights, Hikaru, Umi, and I have learned to work together to solve our problems," she said, leaning forward to put a hand on my arm. "You're one of us now, and we'll help you however we can. Don't feel left out. We're all here." I thanked her. She hugged me and went to meet Ferio in the orchard.

Left out, I thought. Yep, that was it. But not the way she meant. I had never worried about my place with the Magic Knights. With Innova as my armor, my self-confidence had soared. I was the chosen Knight of the Storm. I had a legendary creature at my disposal, a sword that more than compensated for my lack of swordsmanship, and some truly kickass magic powers. Being accepted as a Magic Knight had been merely a bonus.

Two more days passed before Umi showed up. She came in her old school uniform. I had burned mine.

"Well, what's wrong?" she asked. "You can't be homesick after spending so much time telling us how you never wanted to leave!" That's what I liked about Umi, no beating around the bush for her. She didn't bother to sit down. I had been sitting on the edge of a fountain, feeding a large silver fish the bread from the lunch I'd barely eaten. The fish looked at me with some impatience as I paused. So did Umi. She put her hands on her hips and tapped one foot.

"Everyone's noticed," she continued, tossing her head. "Presea hasn't been out of her workshop in forever and even _she_ asked about you! So what's your problem?"

I stared hard at the fish to try to form some reply she'd accept. The fish stared back. Umi leaned around to catch my eye again. Her expression had softened some.

"Nasty break up?" her voice had lowered, though there was no one nearby. "You know...your secret boyfriend or whatever? You were so happy disappearing like that every now and then. We all thought it was so cute...But now, you don't ever leave the palace and you always look so downhearted...Did it not work out?"

That was the closest guess to the truth I'd heard yet, so I ventured an answer. Umi sank to the stone next to me to listen.

"There wasn't much... chance, I guess, for anything to work out." I felt like I was confessing a crime. "I was always happy with him, until it occurred to me how - how much I liked him, and then, realizing that, I knew that it's not something that can work out..."

"Who is it?" Umi's face was alight with interest. She was delighted that I had opened up, I knew, and intrigued by this new gossip. Her question hit that aching nerve once again, and I clenched my eyes shut against the next wave of tears.

"Someone I can't have," I nearly snapped, trying to use anger to dry up the sadness. The bread was crushed in my tightened fist. It was true. Even if he wasn't a spirit guardian of the Storm Shrine, he'd still be an incredible magical creature, too far byond the reach of any human, even a Magic Knight. Even if we could be considered equals, I doubted he'd find anything attractive in me, the skinny, desheveled space case who'd been the outcast everywhere I'd ever been but here. And even if he could consider a human as an object of desire, he'd already found one to love and it wasn't me...He'd already given everything, down to his own life, to serve the one he'd loved beyond all things.

I had wondered earlier if it had been for Zagato himself or a shared love of the Princess that had inspired Innova to such devotion. It didn't matter. Of all the people I had ever known, he had been the one I was truly the happiest with, at least until it had occurred to me that I loved him. It didn't matter, though. He didn't, maybe even couldn't, love me back.

The tears began again. I heard a distressed sound from Umi when she saw them. He hands fluttered around me like butterflies, trying to pet and soothe, while she rattled out hollow words of comfort. It was what I had been afraid of, once begun and witnessed, my tears rolled out like the sea. I sobbed into my hands. My whole body burned with relief at the release.

I cried until my sleeves and collar were soaked from the run off. My legs gave out, my nose was streaming, and my vision was blurred from the flood. I don't cry prettily, perhaps because I have so little practice doing it, but now the dams had broken.

I wailed like a child, so it was no surprise to find myself being held like one. Arms wrapped around me. I was held to someone's chest and rocked slowly. Strange hands stroked my hair and wiped at my tears. Disembodied voiced murmered a thousand meaningless reassurances.

Finally, tears depleted, I came to myself sniffling and gasping into Ascot's shirt. A huge damp spot spread across his chest where I had buried my face against it. Even then I was clutching handfuls of his clothing. He held me in his lap, still rocking me gently. Embarrassed, I wiped at my nose with the back of my hand. I felt weak and dazed and ashamedly grateful to be held.

"Coming back to us now?" he asked with a touch of humor. His smile was too gentle to be teasing, though, and there was genuine relief and sympathy in his eyes. He brushed a tear from my cheek and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. I felt too sheepish to answer. I had soaked the poor man with sobs and sniffles. My eyes ached, but I turned to see all three of the other Knights kneeling around us. Each had a hand on me somewhere and they had concern on all their faces. So did Presea, Ferio, Caldina, Lafarga, Lantis, Mokona, and everyone else who'd come for the show. I was mortified.

"Puu?" Mokona asked. I didn't even try to figure out what it meant.

"Thanks," I told them. "I think it's over now." A few smiles broke out at that. Ferio gave me hanky so I could finally blow my nose. I had a roaring headache from it all.

"You should have a good rest, then a hot bath," Presea said kindly. "That'll put you right in no time."

"I'll make some tea for you," Fuu offered, rising to her feet.

"You should eat something too," added Ascot, giving my ribs a pat. "You're even thinner than before."

"I'll make you a tray!" crowed Hikaru, bouncing up like Mokona. "And bring it to you when you've napped!"

I tried to protest, but hadn't the strength. I could feel the undercurrent of relief from everyone. They were glad I had whatever it was out of my system and they all wanted to help now that they had some idea as to what the problem was. Only I knew that the whole sobfest had only gotten me a lot of attention and Ascot's shirt wet.

After everyone had offered me advice and a snack, Ascot stood and carried me off as if I weighed nothing. I felt as drained as he said I looked. Once out of sight of everyone, he nuzzled my ear and sighed.

"I'm sorry for how I've teased you," he said, sounding sincerely contrite. "If I had known you were having well, relationship problems, I never would've picked on you about your boyfriend." A lighter tone crept into his voice as he added, more jokingly. "I'll let you wear my hat for a whole day if you forgive me." I had never seen Ascot without his hat, and I felt myself smile a bit at the offer.

"Deal," I said, resting my pounding head on his heartbeat. His smile widened into a grin. He shouldered my room's door open and carried me inside.

"White again, huh?" he asked, looking around. "Looks like you're here to stay then." I must've looked as puzzled as I felt because he explained quickly. "All the palace's decor is in white, except for the Magic Knights' quarters, which always shifted to that Knight's color when they moved in. When they came to stay, it turned white again."

That was the most comforting thing I heard in ages. So, I was here to stay...I heaved a long, aching sigh of relief. Ascot dropped me only a little roughly on my bed, just as Fuu walked in with a pot and cup of tea. She put it on my bedside table and left with a smile. Ascot ruffled my already wild hair and grinned.

"I'd better go change," he said, pulling his wet shirt away from his skin. I apologized, but he shook his head.

"Don't worry about it," He took off his hat and plopped it down on my head. It covered my eyes. "Drink up. Rest up. Wash up. Eat up. Then, you'll feel better." He gave me a cheerful wink I could barely see through his bangs and left, closing the door behind him. Warmed by the obvious concern of my friends, I pulled off my clothes, leaving the hat on for grins. I drank the first cup of tea in gulps, the next two in sips. By the end of the third, I had relaxed. I was wrung out and exhausted.

A nice long nap sounded like a great idea, I thought, snuggling under the covers. Then, a steaming hot soak in the tub. That'll be nice...And then, hopefully, I'll have an appetite for whatever Hikaru cooks up. A yawn interrupted my thoughts and I sank into sleep as pale and soft as my bed.

In dreams, Innova padded to my bed on whisper-soft paws. Through my sleepiness, I could barely hear him speaking softly. I tried to swim out of my dream-fog to hear him better. He spoke quietly about the love he had known before. I wanted to ask him if it had been for Emeraude or Zagato, but I couldn't speak. He spoke on about how he was sorry about hurting me the way he had. That he wasn't sure how to love anymore now that so long had passed. He was ancient, a spiritual creature. I was a pathetically young, mortal creature of flesh. This worried him.

He was afraid for me, he said. Of all the creatures, human or otherwise in Cefiro, I was the one best able to bear his touch. The fact that the storm he was born from had chosen me as another house for its power was a comfort to him.

I had missed him and even though I wasn't able to move to hug him, he lowered his snowy body over my bed so I could feel the silky softness of his pelt again. Then, I felt a growl rumble through his frame. He was sniffing at Ascot's hat, still on my head, though I had taken everything else off. Was he jealous?? That thought warmed me to my toes and got another rumble from Innova.

He was! He was jealous of Ascot! I wanted to laugh out loud. I was immediately sorry for it when he stood up again, though. His huge yellow eyes peered down at me through the darkness in my room.

"I am your Armor," he snapped, teeth a flash in the dark. "You are my Knight. I gave up my human form in my last attempt to save the Princess from your fellow Knights. I can only be as you see me."

I wanted to tell him that he was much too beautiful for me to ever want him to be something else, but knew I couldn't. So I did my best to think it, hoping that he'd be able to hear my thoughts instead. It seemed to work. His posture softened and his eyes became gentler. Knowing he did care about me was enough for me to be in euphoric happiness just then. He had given everything to grant happiness to the ones he loved, now it was my turn to grant it to him, if I could.

I awoke, well into the next morning. My tub was full of hot water and minty,green bubbles. A cup of cocoa sat beside it as well as a tray of what could only be described as Hikaru-style 'comfort food.' I had a long and deliriously wonderful soak, followed by the first real meal I'd had in ages.

My hair smelled like mint and my breath smelled like chocolate as I went to return Ascot's hat. He greeted me cheerfully, and I thanked him again for his comfort the day before. He seemed modest and a little embarrassed by my gratitude. We were both called to the main court room for a new monster report. A ragged, shaking messenger had come begging for help. Fuu offered to go, Hikaru couldn't be held back. I was left with Umi, who wanted to know more about my love life.

"How is rebound treating you?" she'd asked with a nudge in the ribs. "You and Ascot were sure cozy! Anything there?" I was saved from answering by Mokona. he bounced off my head to tackle Umi. He flew into her face and glomped on, muffling her shrieks of outrage. I noticed he was wearing my watch around one of his ears. He leapt free with his usual cry of "Puu!" and tore off. Umi was hard after him with a mallet she'd found somewhere, still screaming at him. I watched in half-amused horror as he led her straight into Presea'a workshop. The resulting clangs, bangs, shrieks,and shouts were plenty loud enough to bring a crowd, in which I conveniantly escaped.


	2. and Found

I skipped back up to my tower to sit with my back to the stone and my feet dangling into space.  
The breeze was warm and carried occasional tufts of dandelion fluff. Poor Umi. She'd never guess who it was that I loved. She'd probably try to fix me up with Ascot now. At least someone else would be teased along with me, now. 

Of course, it would be easier if I loved Ascot instead of Innova. Ascot was as human as I was. Or was he? He was able to change his age and such, but surely he was more like me than Innova. I could actually have and hold Ascot...If it was him that I loved. But it wasn't. I wondered how close I ever could be with Innova.

Then, a mindcall from Fuu and Hikaru interrupted my thoughts. They were in trouble in the far desert. I got to my feet just as a distant shout from Umi came from the courtyard below. She had received it too. I used an early spell to turn my body to energy and zipped down to the courtyard as a small bolt of lightning. It was fast but made me feel so strange I didn't do it often. As it was,  
my hair and clothing clung to me with tingly static.

Selece was already there and ready to go, so I called up Innova and we were off to the Sandy Reaches. Umi was annoyed to have her pursuit of Mokona interrupted, but in the perfect mood to take on a monster. I almost laughed at her bad temper, but realized that wouldn't help at all.  
Soon, the rolling green gave way to rolling sand as the fields became dunes.

"There!" shouted Umi, Selece's arm pointing to a whirl of sand and commotion in the distance.

"That must be them!" As we neared I could see Rayearth's flaming crest through the haze. I tried to make out the monster, but couldn't see much through the sandstorm. Unless...the sand storm was the monster...

"Hikaru!" called Umi. Rayearth half-turned and we heard Hikaru's voice sounding frustrated.

"It's made of shifting sand!" she screamed. "My fire only blackens it and Fuu's winds just fling it faster."

"Where is Fuu?" I couldn't see her anywhere. "Is she all right?"

" She's buried!" Hikaru made a stab at the spinning sand, with no affect we could see.

"I've got this thing," Umi snapped. She unleashed a water spell that was like turning a fire hose on a sandcastle. The spinning sand was reduced to wet lumps that flung around for a little bit then melted.

"Again!" I said, pointing at the ground. "Use it to uncover Fuu!"

With Umi blasting at the sand, it wasn't long until the scoured green armor of Windam became visible. Hikaru and I knelt and began to dig around it. Slowly the Wind Machin began to move and struggle to get upright. The sand was packed so tight around her it was almost solid rock.

I began to chip at it with my weapon and Hikaru followed my example with her sword. Soon,  
Windam was able to stand and I winced at the sight of the damaged 'skin'. The sand had scraped and scoured deep scratches into it's surface. Knowing that Knights take their armor's damage as well, I had a nasty vision of what poor Fuu must look like with most of her hide taken off.

Hikaru was scratched up, too, but not as badly. She called out to Fuu until a shaken answer came back. I relaxed a little when I heard her chant her healing spell. The great wet spot in the middle of the desert was drying quickly around us. I was glad I couldn't feel the heat.

"I'm ready," Fuu sighed. "Let's get home." We took off again, and returned to the palace. There was a crowd waiting for us. Ferio ran forward to put his arms around Fuu as soon as she emerged. She leaned weakly on him. Umi looked around at the crowd.

"What's going on?" she asked. Clef looked worried, but it was Ferio who answered.

"This isn't the pillar's doing," he said. "These monsters come from an outside power." That was confusing enough to quiet us down again. I had thought that the Pillar was pretty much in control of things like that. How could this happen by itself? Ferio led Fuu inside with the promise of a backrub. I noticed Ascot looking off to the side and followed his gaze to where Umi and Clef had also drawn to one side. I felt a moment of smugness at my ability to predict their relationship, but Ascot's expression puzzled me.

As soon as he noticed that I had noticed, he blushed and walked off quickly. I stared after him a moment, puzzled, then walked over to Presea's workshop. She was dozing at her desk, occasionally ordering Mokona's execution in her sleep. In front of her was the sword of Arieon.  
She had made a replacement blade for it, but it wasn't joined to the broken place yet. Making it must've taken a lot out of her, I thought, do I carefully crept back to the door to leave her in peace.

In the next instant, the floor went crazy and the whole world vibrated. I squealed in fright as things began to fall off Presea's shelves. Was it an earthquake?? I had never been in one and felt close to panic. Presea jerked awake with a gasp and leapt out off her chair to avoid her cannon as it rolled by. She snatched the two pieces of sword and bolted towards me. I was clinging to the door like it would save me. She caught one of my arms as she went by and dragged me outside before I had time to squeal again.

It passed in only a moment. A few stones fell from the castle walls and water was gushing from a large crack in the side of the courtyard fountain. Soon the gathered crowd had reassembled.  
There was some confusion and much concern.

"It's just like when Emeraude was taken," I heard Lafarga saying. "Earthquakes and monsters."

"But it can't be," another voice said. "The Pillar is safe and untroubled."

"Well, I am sick of this!" Umi's voice rose above everyone's and we all turned to look at her. She was an angry shade of red. I noticed that Clef, standing beside her, also looked a bit pink. Had the earthquake interrupted a tender moment? It would explain Umi's temper. "I say we find what is causing this and put a stop to it right now!"

"Yeah!" cheered Hikaru. "But...is Fuu well enough?"

"It's a bit soon," Ferio almost growled protectively. "I'm going to go ask the Pillar what we should do. The rest of you can work on repairs in the castle until we know for sure what to do."

"Who died and made him pillar?" muttered Ascot. "Oh well. I'll go check the south walls." We divided in to groups to scout out damage and I ended up following Ascot around to the south side of the palace. We found some cracks and an overturned tree, but nothing worse. Ascot was quiet for most of the time. I questioned him for a little while, but it was obvious he was uncomfortable,  
so I let it drop and changed the subject.

The rest of the day was spent moving the fallen rocks, helping the stonesmiths repair cracks, and putting things back on Presea's shelves. By nightfall, I was exhausted and so was everyone else.

Even Mokona seemed to be worn out as he hopped along behind Hikaru. After a halfhearted dinner, we all staggered off to bed with weary goodnights all around. I considered a nice, hot bath, but then decided that I'd fall asleep in it and probably drown. So, I lurched into bed and collapsed.

I found myself in a world of clouds and mist. Taking a step forward, I realized the foot I had put out was really a paw. I stared at it. It was a large, dog-like paw, with inky-black fur. I lifted it experimentally, not really sure if it was mine. It moved when I tried to move my arms, so I quickly spun trying to get a look at the rest of myself.

I was a creature like Innova, I realized, stunned. Only black. I had a long tail, four legs, and when I rubbed a paw over my head, I could feel long pointed ears and a horn on my forehead. There was only a moment of panic and then I began to enjoy it. I ran a short ways, and jumped around,  
getting the feel of this new body. I must look ridiculous prancing around like this, I thought, but didn't care too much. Who would see me here?

I ran on through the mist, thoroughly enjoying myself now. Would Innova appear? Could we finally play together this way? Just for fun, I threw back my head and howled. The sound summoned lightning from the clouds over me, half-startling me, half delighting.

From somewhere in the mist, an answer came back. It could only be Innova, right? I froze, ears perked to tell the direction it was coming from. For a long moment there was no other sound, so I called again. This time a howl came back and I raced for it. A shape moved in the mist ahead of me.

Was it him? I ran towards it, but then there wasn't any ground under my feet. I gasped, then felt something hit me on the head where my horn was supposed to be. I blinked and found myself on the floor of my room, tangled in a bed sheet.

"Ow," I said, rubbing the bump on my forehead. Disappointment sank in like teeth. It had just been a dream. Heaving a sigh, I pulled myself free from the sheet and crawled onto the bed. It had been a beautiful dream, though, I thought with a smile. And, like all my dreams of Innova, I had woken up feeling completely energized. There was no way I could get back to sleep, now.

My barefeet made little slapping sounds as I went down the hall out into the courtyard again. It was a good night for a walk, I reasoned happily. But as I skipped past the fountain, I caught a glimpse of a green spark of light from the shadows. I slid to a halt for a better look. It took a moment for me to recognize Ascot in the darkness. One of the green gems on his collar had caught the moonlight and winked at me. He hadn't seen me yet.

He looked into the fountain with a quiet despair I could all too well sympathize with. I had a short argument with myself on whether or not I should leave him alone, but then sighed, and called out to him softly. He jumped, looked startled, then guilty, then a little annoyed. I asked him if he was all right and he snapped at me that he was fine before stalking off into the shadows again. I watched him go, then went on my way. It wouldn't help if I tried to talk to him now.

I walked under the moon until my first weariness returned and then went back to bed to sleep dreamlessly until the eye-opening thump of Mokona on my back snapped me out of it. I sat up groggily, looking around.

"Puu!" cheered Mokona, bouncing happily on my lap. "Puupupuu!"

"What?" I grouched, glaring at him with the one eye I'd managed to open. His look of total glee and good cheer should have been contagious, but sore muscles from the work sent my growling back under the covers.

"Puu!" said Mokona, sounding admonishing. He bounced again, this time on my butt, where he thumped one leg like the rabbit he resembled, sending me out of the blankets with a squeal. I chased him around the room once on principle, then let him land safely on my pillow to grin at me. He remained smiling through my lecture on how to treat a lady's posterior and seemed not to care in the least.

"You should be ashamed," I told him, not meaning it. His cheer had finally rubbed off on me. He knew it as well as I did and smirked as I pulled on some clothes, beat my hair down enough to use a barrette on it, and hopped out after me.

I went through the kitchen. My late start had caused me to miss breakfast, so I took a pear and a roll on my way outside. The courtyard was empty and the last of the morning's dew sparkled in the sunshine. I was feeling sparkly myself. Since the coast was clear, I swung up into a tree to eat my breakfast. I hadn't done this since I was very young and was enjoying it thoroughly when a shuffle of feet down the tiled path got my attention. I peeked down through the leaves. It was Ascot.

He still looked depressed and I was debating whether or not to speak to him when he sat down with a sigh on the bench in the tree's shade. I wondered how wet it was from the dew. Shyness at having to explain what I was doing in the tree kept me quiet for a few moments longer. I couldn't just sit up there without moving all day though. I'd have to say something. I felt like a spy watching him when he thought he was alone. Then, his name was called and he looked up.

Caldina's little bells chimed as she walked over. I couldn't see her yet, but those bells announced her presence wherever she went. Now I was really stuck. It would've been embarrassing enough to have to climb down with Ascot watching, but Caldina too? There was no denying that she was beautiful. Silly as it was to compare myself to a grown woman, I always felt twice as scruffy and unkempt when she was nearby. There was no way I could come down from a tree with leaves and bark and breadcrumbs all over me. So, I held still and hoped they'd leave quickly.

"Ascot," she was saying softly. "What is it? Why have you been avoiding us all? Did you catch the melancholy bug from the Magic Knight?" That last was meant teasingly, but it didn't seem to cheer him. He just shook his head an looked at his feet.

"Tell me," she urged, sitting beside him on the bench. That dew had to be cold on her skin with as little as she always wore. He sighed again. I felt more and more like an eavesdropper, but didn't know what to do. Should I just announce my presence and hurry off before they said anything I wasn't meant to hear? But, if they really needed to talk, my interruption might spoil the moment and give Ascot a chance to change the subject and leave like he had with me. Besides, if I knew what was wrong too, maybe I could help Ascot, to repay him somehow for his kindness to me when I was upset.

"Is it Umi?" Caldina suddenly asked, her voice dropping lower. Ascot hung his head and then nodded slowly.

"I thought that if I grew up she might think more of me," he mumbled, scratching his shoulder self-consciously. "But I should've just stayed small since she likes Clef so much." This new information would've left me speechless even if I hadn't been trying to be quiet. Poor Ascot! But Caldina put her arms around him and tried to be encouraging. I felt bad for him too. His problem was just as bad as mine had been. Worse maybe. At least I knew there wasn't someone I had to compete with where Innova was concerned. Eventually, they walked away together and I was able to climb down unobserved.

The rest of the day was spent trying to figure out what to do with this information. I couldn't just run tell Umi. It was bad enough I'd overheard a private conversation without me running around telling people about it. By dinner, I had decided that the best thing to do was try to cheer up Ascot without letting him know how much I knew. After all the advice on heartache I'd received,  
I had plenty of material to use on him. Of course, it hadn't helped me that much either.

All the tension had brought out the best in the palace chefs. Dinner was an event. It was seafood,  
one of my favorites, and everything was tangy-sweet. Even Ascot grinned a little over his piled-high plate. Afterwards, too full to eat much of the eight layer pudding cake that had been wheeled out, I staggered out into the garden to catch my breath. Luck was on my side, because soon, Ascot came out too. He greeted me and waddled over to admire the sunset with me. We were both too full to move. As the golden-red in the west began to fade, I turned to talk to him.  
We were both so full and relaxed I figured the timing couldn't be better.

"I'm glad to see you cheerful again," I told him. "You don't look like yourself without your grin. I 've been afraid my mopeyness had attached to you when I got rid of it." I hoped that was an innocent enough statement to bring up the subject. I saw a change in his eyes and his smile became more wistful.

"I know it's none of my business," I went on, not wanting him to make any excuses. "But I thought I'd tell you what everyone has been telling me.." He looked at me, a little surprised and expectant so I drew myself up and with my best Clef impersonation said: "Cefiro is the world of will. If you believe in it and wish for it with all your heart, your wish will come true!" He grinned a bit at my act and I went on. "So, don't give up, but be sure you know what it is you want so you can wish for it clearly. I owe you a lap to cry on should you ever need it, so if I can help you let me know, Okay?"

Finally, he chuckled. Then without warning, he grabbed me in a headlock and gave me a noogie until I shrieked. That hadn't been done to me for ages. I punched him in the arm when he let me go and he grinned, pulling me over into a hug.

"Thanks," he said, giving me a squeeze that made me gasp. He put me down again and we grinned at each other. I felt loads better, knowing he was happier. A rustle in the bushes made us both turn in time to see the end of a golden ponytail disappearing. Presea had seen us then? I wondered why she'd run off, but then remembered, I would've done the same thing if I hadn't been up a tree. Little did I realize what was in store. She had seen us all right, but apparently she hadn't heard the conversation.

By the next morning, the word was out. Ascot and I had been spotted in a cuddly state in the sunset's glow. It was so romantic. I was mortified. Ascot was worse. He denied all rumors of course, but that didn't help. If anything it made things worse. Only Caldina had no part in it because she knew, as well as I did, where his affections really were. I was glad to have a partner in being teased for once and had to admit to some satisfaction at seeing him get what he'd given me so well.

On the plus side, though, it got him more attention from Umi because she wanted details, and failing, to get them from me, she moved on to him. This lasted several days. I had finally gotten used to it, but Ascot still went pink when it was mentioned. I think he realized that the less he actually said the more Umi would hang around, so he let a few things slip, which were, of course his feeling for her, but she didn't know that and gave him no peace. Which I think he rather enjoyed.

Then, one morning, a rumble started again. Thinking it was another earthquake, we all took cover. The ground did tremble and the sound grew steadily louder, but nothing really shook. Finally, someone on the wall shouted and we all crowded around to look.

A mountain range was traveling steadily toward the palace. At least that's what it looked like. A great cloud of dust whipped out behind it. I could see trees and stone fling up around it like they were nothing. It was very weird, but then, the front part arched up like a caterpillar to leap something. I guessed that it was the river it was crossing.

"It's a monster," Ascot said. _Well, duh_... I thought. Umi, Hikaru, and Fuu joined me at a sprint out the front gate. We called up our Machins as soon as we were clear of the walls and flew out to meet it. It was going fast enough that it was almost upon the palace when we hit it. It reared up again, and I thought I saw an eye gleam in the underpart of it. Fuu saw it, too.

"It's eyes are on the bottom," she shouted. "It has to raise up to see!"

"Stay clear!" I called and unleashed my Electric Storm on it. It shattered, but in only a moment the pieces had regrouped. It had picked up debris on the way, I noticed, adding to it's size as it traveled.

"Do it again," Fuu told me. "We'll keep it apart this time." So I unloaded another one down on the roaring creature. I was glad of the chance for the euphoric rush I got off using that spell. Once again, the rock broke under my lightning, This time Fuu called up a whirlwind to scatter them further. Umi washed some away in a blue torrent and Hikaru used her power like a flame thrower to blast any nearby. The pieces stayed where they fell this time.

"I think we've done it," Hikaru said, poking at a piece with her sword. The ground vibrated,  
throwing us all off balance.

"I'm not so sure!" I answered, looking around for the next attack. The ground opened under Selece and the Machin fell. Innova took off in the air to avoid falling, but Hikaru sent Rayearth diving to catch Selece. She was too late. We heard a cry of shock from Umi and then the blue Machin was gone down into the pit. Fuu had to grab Rayearth to keep him from falling in too.  
We all screamed for Umi, but she didn't answer. The rumbling stopped and we were left with a huge, black hole.

Clef teleported in out of nowhere to call down the hole, too. Ascot was running from the gate,  
with a few others behind him. I felt numb with panic. My fingers were cold on the pulse in my throat. Fuu took over.

"It's all right!" she was saying, using Windam to herd people back from the hole. "We're going to go get her. No Clef, they need you here in case something else happens. We're going."

Hikaru didn't need to hear anymore. With a cry, she jumped Rayearth into the pit. With a shaky sigh, I followed her in. I heard the whish of Windam's wings as Fuu came after me. It was dark, of course, I could only see Rayearth's flaming crest down below, and I didn't care for the sensation of the freefall at all. Innova was calm though, and sent me reassuring thoughts.

We landed at the bottom in a cavern. No light could be seen from the surface. Another rumble sent stones falling down around us and we hurried further in. No sooner had we gotten inside than the tunnel collapsed behind us. Trapped! my brain sang hysterically. Suffocation! Claustrophobia! But Innova kept following Rayearth deeper in, so my panic didn't slow us down any. I couldn't help but wander how the other Knights were coping.

Soon, Rayearth stopped. The tunnel was too small now for the Machins. Hikaru suddenly shouted that she could see Selece. She left Rayearth and ran further into the dark. I left Innova to follow her. Fuu came with me and I was glad to see she was pale as I felt. Where did Hikaru find such courage all the time?? We came to where Selece was trapped under fallen rocks. Hikaru was pounding on it yelling for Umi. After a moment, Umi was beamed out, dazed and hurt.

Hikaru lit a quick fire to lay her down beside and Fuu knelt to heal her. I wished there was something I could do for her.

"How are we going to get Selece out?" I asked.

"Umi can call him into her wrist gem," offered Hikaru. I shook my head. Selece's body was all that was holding the rocks up. If he just dematerialized, they'd fall and crush us. Hikaru's face fell as I explained.

"It's all right," Fuu said with a smile. "I'll take her into Windam with me. Then she can call Selece away. We'll be safe inside our Machins." That was the plan then. We helped Umi back through the cave and she disappeared into the bird Machin with Fuu. Hikaru and I got inside out armor, and a second later Selece blinked out from under the rocks to vanish. Sure enough, the rocks came pouring down.

"We'll just have to find a new way out." said Fuu, sounding calm.

"We could blast our way out," Hikaru pointed to the ceiling.

"We're too close to the palace," I yelped. "Who know where we'll come up? We could crush the Pillar or something!"

That was agreed to, to my relief and we all went looking for a new exit. Hikaru found one but it was too small for the Machins, so we left them again and went on by foot. At the very least, we reasoned, this tunnel could lead us far enough away that we could blast up. We could hear a faint sound like rocks moving, but no more earthquakes came.

Soon, a light could be seen and we hurried toward it, hoping to see the sun coming in from an opening. Instead, we stumbled out into a huge cavern. Golden light shone all around, but not from any source we could see. Two huge doors were in the far wall, large enough for a Machin. Over the door in bright gold was the motif of a giant ram's head, it's huge, spiraling horns framing the doorway. Hikaru's face lit up.

"We've found it!" she cheered. "We've found the Earth Shrine!"


	3. The End

There was awe, of course. It was unmistakable as a Machin Shrine. The air had that same hum of power. The dankness of the cave gave way to a rich, loamy smell as golden as the air. The Machin-high door was a honey brown, trimmed in brilliant gold. The ram motif looked down at us. I kept expecting it to move. 

Hikaru was exultant. She leapt into the air with glee. "We've found the Earth Shrine!" she sang again, throwing her arms up into the air.

"An Earth Shrine," echoed Fuu, resting a knuckle on her chin thoughtfully. "It was an earthquake that led us down here..."

"And a rock monster that we fought just before that," said Umi, as if she had suddenly caught on.  
I stared at them both, trying to figure out what they were getting at. Hikaru looked as confused.  
so I didn't feel too bad.

"And the third was made of sand," I added to stall for time while I wracked my brain. Then it hit me. "Oh! All things related to the earth and ground! You think it has something to do with Arieon?"

"Maybe he just wanted to be found," offered Hikaru, the optimist. Umi gave her a glare.

"Why attack us so often then?" she snapped. "This is weird."

"You...think the monsters all came from here?" Hikaru looked puzzled and a little upset. "But why? And how would a Machin do that?"

"I don't know," Fuu admitted. "But it seems too close to be a coincidence."

Subdued by that thought, I looked up to the door again. An evil Machin? One whose power manifested as monsters and earthquakes? I remembered the stories of Zagato and Emeraude, and their lethal Machins. A faint rumbling made us all tense, ready for another quake, but none came.

"Presea...said that the Earth Knight died," I told them. "How could a Machin, well, _function_ without a Knight?"

"Then the Knight must still be in it!" Hikaru insisted, looking as distressed as I knew I did.

"That story is ages old," argued Umi. "How could anyone live that long?"

"Cefiro is a world of will," Fuu reminded us. "Perhaps if she wanted to, with all her heart..."

"And we've come to free her!" Hikaru lit up again. "Let's go!"

She ran up to the door before we could debate it any further. I still had misgivings. What about the monsters? Would the 4th Knight be a friend to us? Umi looked as doubtful as me, but Fuu only seemed thoughtful. Hikaru, with her usual pluckiness, had put shoulder to the door was straining against it. To no one's surprise, it didn't budge.

"There's room for a Machin here," I said. "I'll call up Innova and try." I was glad of any excuse to get inside my armor again. Before they could give me a reason not to, I summoned Innova. His snowy whiteness was undulled by the golden air and he took me inside immediately, to my relief.

A flicker of oneness shivered over me once inside. It should've made me feel better, but I felt an unreasonable fear for him flare up. I didn't want there to be anything evil to fight. What if he was hurt?

An amused thought from Innova himself quelled my silliness. He could take care of himself quite well. The other three Machin materialized in front of me. Hikaru and I went to lean into the door.  
_Maybe I'm overreacting_, I told myself. _The Knights attacked me in the beginning, remember?  
And now we were like family. Maybe it'll be that way this time too...a new sister...Red, blue,  
green, white, and gold._

The door resisted just long enough for us to wonder if it would ever move, then slowly began to shift. Fuu and Umi lent their strength to either side, and with the four of us, we soon pushed our way into the Shrine room. In the center stood a huge golden creature, much like a ram, but too deer-like. It radiated strength as well as the golden light. As all of the Machin's true forms were,  
it was beautiful.

It turned its head to pierce us with its shining eyes. How anything so graceful could seem at once so powerful, I wasn't sure. It's fleecy coat was a mass of sun-colored curls, looking impossibly soft. The curving horns were a softer buttery color, still seeming to be too exquisite to be as strong as I knew they were. There was a long moment of awe between us.

Then, horrifying after the silence, Arieon threw his head skyward and roared. It was a battle cry of rage and pain and some terrible anguish. I cried out, too, from the shock of it. Weapons broke out among all of us but Hikaru. The ram began a transformation into a huge, spiral-horned Machin. It's feet were like split hooves and it held a weapon like a long-handled ax.

"Wait! **WAIT**!" screamed Hikaru. "We don't want to fight! We came to free you!"

Arieon arched backwards, from some unendurable pain. An image slammed in to my head,as if driven by that ax. Alien emotions flooded me, a killing despair, defeat, and the knowledge that I'd die so far from home.

_Pain, pain and despair. Trapped here! Trapped and doomed to die never seeing what I cherished most again._ I screamed aloud, wanting to curse those who had brought me to this place, this deathtrap, but unable to form the words. Then, Innova was there where the torment had been.

"This is not yours," he told me and I found myself whimpering without cause. The flood of feelings was gone. I could hear Umi gasping and sobs from Hikaru and somewhere I could sense Fuu trembling in silence. It had hit them too. A brilliant flash of light caught my eye and I hadn't even time to draw breath to cry a warning before Arieon had lunged at Hikaru. As usual, she was way out in front of us. Arieon brought his ax in a long scythe-like swing at her, but Rayearth dodged to save her, just as Umi launched her Water Dragon attack at him.

Right, I though, dashing to take a stab at him. Attack him all at once and finish this quickly. I landed what I thought was a decent hit on his left shoulder (I hadn't quite the nerve to aim for the heart yet) but he shrugged it off, forcing me back a step. He had absorbed Umi's Water Dragon. My second shock came when I sank into the floor up to my knees. The stone had become soft under me, but I could feel it hardening again. He was going to trap me in it!

A new attack from Fuu made him pause, and in panic, I sent Innova away. My own body's weight wasn't enough to sink me into the floor, so I attempted to scramble onto solid ground on my own feet. I was helped in this by being instantly blasted to the other side of the room by Fuu's power.  
Innova could stand up to it, but I hadn't a chance. Hikaru quickly landed Rayearth between me and the winds to shield me until I could get back inside Innova.

A stab in 'my' foot made me scream and the floor was suddenly full of spikes. Innova took to the air to spare us more damage. The other three Knights had no choice but to follow. The only flat surface in the floor now was under Arieon's cloven feet.

"We can't land," Fuu sighed. "We'll have to fight him from here."

"Well, enough fooling around, then!" Umi snapped. "We each take a position a blast him with our strongest spells."

"What about the 4th Knight?" pleaded Hikaru. "What if she really is trapped inside that crazy Machin?"

"Do you think....that thing we felt...came from her and not Arieon himself?" I asked shrieking the last part as we all had to dodge a new attack. "Innova? Can you tell?"

"No," his quiet voice seemed out of place. "The Earth Machin must be subdued." We all scrambled to avoid a few stabbing icicles of metal that came lunging out of the walls at us.

"No fair!" Umi shouted. "He controls metal too??"

"It does come from underground," Fuu said, much too calmly. She was nearest to the wall. "I hear another rumbling. It could be another quake. Watch yourselves."

"I think Umi's plan is the best idea right now," I called. "We've got to get out of here. I don't want those thought we felt to become mine. I don't want to lose and die in this place. Besides, is there any choice?"

"None!" shouted Umi again. "Let's finish this!" So, finally, we each took a point in a various corners. Now nearer the wall myself, I could hear the rumbling Fuu had warned us of. It sounded like rocks sliding, grinding. He could bury us all in here with him....I was distracted from that thought by a blast of lava.

I fended that off and prepared myself for my greatest spell. All around,  
I could feel the intensifying power of the other Knights as we gather up all our wills. _We'll collapse this place on our heads_, a little voice said. _And our bodies will never be found either_.

"No doubts," said Innova gently. "Only faith, and the power will come." One by one, the other Knights released their most powerful magics. I heard tears in Hikaru's voice as she did so. Their spells combined into a glowing spiral that screamed into Arieon. I added the howl of the storm to it, sending white and lavender crackles of lightning into the spiral. As my power joined theirs, it ignited into a burning explosion that blasted us all back against the different walls of the Shrine as the world went white.

Almost at the same time, we all got a mindful of new images again. A girl, our age, with two curly blond ponytails on either side, wearing a brown school uniform. Then she was there in Magic Knight dress. There was a battle between the golden Machin and some shapeless mass of darkness. A snapping sword, and finally, a vision of a mummified body, curled into the fetal position, deep inside Arieon.

That was it! The Knight had died, but her body was still inside the Machin. Arieon was attacking on the last thoughts and feelings of the Earth Knight before she died. He'd been unable to go back to being a Shrine Guardian because her body was still with him, he could take his true form, it seemed, but he would always have her last fears and pains echoing inside him. She had died in despair and he was now forced to live in it, slowly driving him mad. This knowledge shocked us all into hesitation.

Arieon hadn't been destroyed, to my surprise and partial relief. He struggled a bit on the floor and seemed about to rise when the wall beneath Hikaru crumbled and what looked like a giant mole's nose stuck out. After a moment, the whole head shoved through. It was a mole. And Ascot stood on top of its sleek head. He called out to us (Umi first) to see if we were all right, then hopped down to stare in wonder at Arieon.

He had brought one of his monsters to help us. It followed him in, giving us a better look at it. It looked like a gigantic cross between a mole and a centipede. It had a head like a mole, a looooong furry body, and countless little clawed feet along its sides. It was roughly the size of a train. I thought it was cute.

Arieon stirred at Ascot's approach, then swung the ax up again.  
Hikaru and Umi screamed a warning, but the molipede was faster. It charged Arieon, hitting him square in the chest. It slammed a clawed foot in to the golden Machin. Arieon gave a last howl and slumped.

"It's not dead, is it?" I asked, still hating the thought.

"No," Fuu answered. "His eyes are still lit. Thank you, Ascot!"

Ascot shrugged, looking nonchalant. Hikaru beamed out of her Machin and ran to the damaged Arieon. The molipede withdrew its claws, leaving a hole big enough for her to crawl through.  
Ascot followed her in as we left our armor to approach. After a minute or two, they reappeared,  
carrying something wrapped in Hikaru's cape.

"The body?" Fuu asked. Ascot nodded. Hikaru was in tears.

"One of us should go inside Arieon, "I said. "And give him a new thought to fill with." I hoped no one would suggest me. I was terrified.

"It should be you," said Innova for all to hear. "You love it here most."

"Yes," Umi gave me a smile. "It's no wonder Arieon tried to attack Cefiro since his Knight died hating it here."

"And you love it here more than any of us," Fuu added, with a smile of her own. I looked from one to the other. They all looked back with smiles. So, feeling very small and afraid, I sighed and crawled up through the hole marring Arieon's chest and into the chamber. I felt his awareness stir. I felt the Earth power in him, heavy and thick and solid, so different from my own wild, chaotic lightning magic. His thoughts were hurt, sad, and very, very tired.

_You poor thing_, I told him, filling my thoughts and heart with all the love I could muster up. _It's over now. You can rest. Be happy. Your Knight will come back to you. It'll be better next time,you'll see. Now rest and heal and be glad_.

The next thing I knew, I was looking at everyone else again. Arieon had beamed me out and stood back up. The hole in his armor was healed. As I watched, he shifted back to his true Shrine form, never taking his gleaming eyes off of me. Then, the floor hit me in the chin.

At least that's what it felt like. The Shrine was moving. We were all tossed around. Ascot was looking thrilled to have Umi cling to him for balance. Fuu had his other arm. Hikaru and I were supported by the molipede, who's velvet pelt I would've been crazy to rub all over if I hadn't been trying to keep my spine from going out the top of my head. Then, it stopped.

We all gathered our composure, straightened clothing, apologized for pinches in haste, and tried to look around. Arieon was back on his shrine. Through the open doors we could see a rocky path. We all ventured out into the sunlight. We were at the base of a huge cliff of stone. The path led away, to where we could see green again. The Earth Shrine had returned to Cefiro. Behind us,  
the doors closed. The fight was over for good.

"I'd better take Nachival home," said Ascot, nodding towards the molipede, which I was petting.  
"I'll see you in the palace." He jumped onto its head and it buried right into the rock with amazing speed, making that rumble we had heard all the way down, mistaking it for a quake.  
With smiles to each other, we let out Machins take us home.

The celebration that night rivaled any party I had even heard of. Ascot was received like a hero,  
to his embarrassment. There was feasting and fireworks well into the night. Sometime into it all,  
I crept off and let Innova take me back to my knoll so I could have a good cry for the poor Earth Knight. I wished I could know what her name was.

"Then, you will," said Innova. I froze in shock as a pair of very human arms wrapped around me from behind. Pale silky hair brushed my cheek and warm breath filled my ear. The softest of kisses was pressed to my throat and a finger wiped away a tear."Wishes can come true, even if it's only in little ways."

A thousand thought went falling over each other in my brain. Did that mean he could only be like this inside the Machin? That was fine with me! It was a start, and the rest I could work out later. I felt a chuckle from him. I wasn't quite brave enough to turn and look him in the face. I didn't want to break the spell, so I only told him that I loved him. What's never really lost doesn't have to found again. To have found this was magic enough.


End file.
